Foundation Labeled As Terrorist Claims Free Exercise Infringement

In federal district court in Oregon today, according to The Oregonian, the Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation filed suit against the federal government demanding return of 155 boxes of religious materials-- including Qur'ans, written commentary on the life of the Prophet Muhammad, and other materials designed to explain Islam. The materials were seized two years ago by the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, as it investigated alleged terrorist activity by the Foundation. In September 2004, the Foundation was designated a global terrorist organization. Treasury officials said it sent money to Islamic fighters in Chechnya, while the Foundation says it merely operated a mosque and distributed Islamic literature to prisoners. The Foundation argues that the government's refusal to release the seized documents violates its First Amendment rights.